LA’s Westside is akin to a playground for kids of all ages (including adults and seniors). Think Disneyland by the sea. It is home to beaches, hiking trails, bike paths, piers and one of the biggest tourist destinations in California: the Venice Boardwalk, which hosts about 30,000 visitors daily. As summer approaches, tourists and locals will flock to the Westside all season in search of breezy temps and cooler hangouts. Below is a list of food to eat, things to do, and places to see, from Venice and Santa Monica to Mar Vista and Culver City, which are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exploring all the treasures that are sprinkled throughout the LA’s westside.
Eat
Beat the heat, states Moto Ramen’s site in bold letters, with its chill summer offerings of refreshing sake and beer and cold hiyashi ramen noodles with toppings. Located in Culver City, Moto serves flavors from Okinawa, but it maintains that its style and service is all LA. Tonkotsu, a rich pork bone soup base topped with chashu pork, soft-boiled egg, green onions, bean sprouts, and ginger, which is offered spicy and not-as-spicy, is one of its more popular dishes. Rice bowls can be filled with beef, fried chicken or albacore, salmon or yellowtail sushi. Fuel up in the afternoon with a Bento box, which is only available weekdays, or sushi rolls available a la carte.
After a lovely meal at Planta Cocina, Uovo, HiHo Cheeseburger or KazuNori at Boardwalk MDR, head straight to Winston Pies for dessert. It is an order. This little pie shop popped up seemingly out of nowhere, except baking is a family tradition for owner Brianna Abrams, who hails from Winston-Salem, and she had been baking — and outgrowing — out of her home kitchen for years. These handmade artisan pies baked daily from scratch sit behind glass cases, and their mouth-watering wiffs waft throughout the shop. Their pie menu rotates monthly, and they feature a “candy bar” line of pies (this month is Milky Way).
There is Blue Bottle and Intelligentsia on Abbot Kinney, and then there is the pop-up Hooked Venice at Dudley Market. Once a mainstay at Menotti’s, coffee connoisseur Christopher “Nicely” Alameda conceived the concept Hooked, where he crafts natural processed coffees from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Steer clear on their off days, Monday and Tuesday, but for the rest of the week it has vinyl spinning and Nicely behind the bar dishing coffee knowledge about blends, notes, and aromas along with his Flat Whites and Americanos.
Two places that offer authentic, relaxing, warm atmospheres and delicious South American-style eats are Café Brasil and Grand Casino. Since 1991, Cafe Brasil has operated seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., serving soft shell crabs, chicken wings, and Brazilian empanadas. Most customers order “fresh from the grill” plates, with chicken, salmon or steak. The passion fruit mousse and passion fruit juice mix accentuate the tropical vibes. Futbol is usually on the big screen TV. Grand Casino Bakery & Café in Culver City specializes in Argentine baking and cuisine, with ready-to-eat empanadas and facturas at the entry and a restaurant menu filled with a wide range of options, and a big screen TV, in the back. Breakfast is served until 2 p.m., and Casino Classics include chicken chimichurri caprese salad and short rib with fries.
Its customers can attest that Curious Palate’s claim to be a food lover’s paradise is true. Located on the top deck of the Santa Monica Place, they have weathered the opening and closing of many neighbor business ventures, and now sit beside The Cayton Children’s Museum and The Gourmandise School (and a Din Tai Fung scheduled to open soon). They do it all well, from the Bánh Mi sandwich and miso short rib wrap to the fried shrimp po’boy. They offer 20 taps of craft beer, cider and kombucha from local independent brewers and wines from around the world. It serves housemade catsup and homemade pickles and list its farmers market partners on its site. Co-founders Elliot Rubin and Mark Cannon have created “a heart-warming home built on the time-honored belief that the bond between loved ones flourishes at the table over well-prepared, creative meals.”
PLAY
Santa Monica and Venice offer a flurry of activities and shop-filled streets, from Main Street and Rose Avenue to Lincoln Boulevard and the Boardwalk. Santa Monica’s big three are the Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade, and Santa Monica Place. The pier now resembles that exciting carnival that pops up in every town every summer, except it is on wooden planks over the sea. The merry-go-round and Heal the Bay Aquarium sit on the land side of the pier, and Pacific Park Amusem*nt Park and its 12 rides lives at the seaside, and piled on top of each other in the middle are plenty of games, food options, and souvenirs. For $50, score an unlimited ride wristband for ages 8 and older. The Third Street Promenade hosts eateries and shops that span three car-free blocks. Stop and stare at the quirky street performers, and there’s even a movie theater for strolling cinema lovers. At the end of the promenade is Santa Monica Place with more than 80 shops and more restaurants.
Venice just might be for the more adventurous. The Boardwalk is home to even quirkier street performers, Muscle Beach, a skate park, pier, and scores of vendors selling everything from sunglasses to names written on pieces of rice. Bike and surfboard rentals are available, as are miles of bike paths to pedal, sand to sprawl out on, and ocean to frolic in.
Next on the nature wonder checklist is the Ballona Wetlands, a 577-acre protected ecological reserve. A nonprofit group called Friends of Ballona Wetlands offers tour and hosts events. The site is ideal for seeing native plants and bird watching. Plus, it is right down the street from Runway Playa Vista, where visitors can shop, eat, and hang at a few fun parks. On Saturdays, the Playa Vista Farmers Market sets up from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with an excellent selection of produce, breads and pastries, handmade crafts and prepared foods.
Along with surfing, paddle boarding and kayaking, boating is also an option. Brunch, dinner, and sunset cruises are available at City Cruises Marina Del Rey.
Playing hard does not always refer to the great outdoors. The Studio (MDR) and Sender One are two options when you want to stretch, tone and climb indoors. The Studio (MDR) workouts use state-of-the-art Megaformers, which provide more exercise options than traditional reformers. With locations in Marina Del Rey, Culver City, Playa Vista and Manhattan Beach, The Studio (MDR) is spreading its 45-minute Sebastien Lagree’s Pilates-inspired workouts along the coast, with an emphasis on community-building and creating a family feel. Sender One is where people go to not only indoor rock climb but also “work together, support each other, share ideas, and earn trust.”
STAY
There is a hotel smack dab in the center of the action in each part of LA. The Marina del Rey Hotel is directly across from the harbor, a handful of blocks from the beach, and close to LAX. Along with SALT Restaurant and Bar, the hotel recently opened MOJO Cafè, a new grab-and-go option for breakfast and lunch. Perks include beach cruiser rentals, a pool with cabanas, pet-friendly hotel rooms, and Tesla charging stations.
Guests can practically hear the street performers from their windows at Hotel Erwin, which nearly kisses the Venice Boardwalk. The rooftop, aka High rooftop lounge, is one of the best places to catch the sunset. One of the stars of “Love on the Spectrum” even met a first date there. Eat at Eggslu*t next door for breakfast, pick up a few necessities at Gjusta Grocer across the street, and then for lunch and dinner good eats are on every corner: Great White, Belles Beach House, and Ggiata Delicatessen.
Casa del Mar and Shutters on the Beach are beautiful hotels steps away from the Santa Monica Pier, where the sand reaches right up to their doorsteps. The two take full advantage of their seaside location, offering picnic at the beach experiences, surf lessons, bicycle rentals, and beach workout and wellness. They also each have a pool and spa. On the way to the Santa Monica Pier, stop at Hot Dog on a Stick for refreshing hand-stomped lemonade.
The food at FIG Restaurant is a good enough reason to stay at Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows. Menu highlights include the lemon ricotta pancakes with almonds and blueberry butter, the Nutella French toast with Chantilly cream and strawberries, and the roasted sea scallops with coconut ponzu, brown butter, and green curry. Guests will rest their head where Hollywood legends such as Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe once slept. The 5-acre resort overlooks the Pacific Ocean and offers ocean-view rooms and 31 1930s-style bungalows. Other perks are a beach club, an Exhale Spa, and a sushi spot.
The Culver Hotel is for the guest who likes the beach but loves city sprawl. Surrounded by a flurry of restaurants, the Kirk Douglas Theatre, and the Culver City Stairs, visitors can walk everywhere, even up 282 earthy, different-sized steps (715 feet of them) to a scenic overlook of Los Angeles. A few switchback trails lead to a visitor center, and there now exists a 13-mile Park to Playa Trail, a pedestrian and bicycle route that connects the Baldwin Hills parklands to the Pacific Ocean.
Walking distance is also two shopping center-like destinations, Platform LA and Citizen Public Market. On the menu at Platform are Margot’s coastal Mediterranean cuisine, Juliet’s French contemporary fare, and Loqui’s homemade Mexican food, plus treats such as Van Leeuwen’s ice cream and Boba guys. Shops include Catbird jewelry, pLAy, where people can come together to exercise curiosity, and The Optimist for men. A historical landmark, Citizen Public Market is a 7,500-square-foot food hall where customers can choose between The Jolly Oyster, Go Go Bird, Sustainabowl, The Press, Bang Bang Noodles, The WEHO Sausage Company, Bar Bohémien, and Uoichiba.
Each neighborhood on the westside of L.A. offers its own unique, noteworthy places to eat, play, and stay. Whether on a short or long visit or a staycation, there is a lot to check off on the summer to-do list: outdoor concerts around town, pool parties at local hotels, drive-in movies, DJ nights at bars, and spectacular Fourth of July activities. And the best part of sightseeing in LA. is the reliable sunny weather (except maybe a few days of June gloom). As Taylor Swift sang in “A Place in This World:” “Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine, could you tell me what more do I need?”
